Mobile device-based system for automated, real time health record exchange

ABSTRACT

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for accessing electronic medical records are provided in which a portable computing device uniquely associated with a user authenticates an identification of the user and automatically retrieves information corresponding to the user from electronic healthcare records systems using the identification. The retrieved information may be combined with other information and electronically delivered to a healthcare provider.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/415,800 filed on Mar. 8, 2012, and which claims the benefit ofnow-expired U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/530,367 filed onSep. 1, 2011, of now-expired U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/475,199 filed on Apr. 13, 2011, and of now-expired U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/451,111 filed on Mar. 9, 2011, the contents ofwhich applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

BACKGROUND Field

The present invention relates generally to electronic healthcare recordsand more particularly to access and exchange of electronic healthcarerecords using mobile computing devices.

Background

In today's healthcare environment individuals typically receivehealthcare from multiple healthcare providers and often at multiplelocations. Healthcare providers commonly lack accurate and up to dateinformation regarding the care previously received by a patient fromother providers. In order to deliver optimum, coordinated healthcare andmost cost-effective healthcare to their patients, healthcare providersneed to have ready access to an up to date medical history of theirpatients wherever they have received care, and the ability to exchangetheir most recent clinical findings and treatment plans to otherhealthcare providers who will be caring for their patients next.

To deliver such optimum care coordinated healthcare, new healthcaredelivery and financing models have been defined, which emphasizecoordination of care with the use of patient-centered medical homes(PCMHs) or accountable care organizations (ACOs). Implementation of suchsystems, however, can require significant changes in clinical practiceand can result increased complexity in business, financing andcontractual arrangements associated with the delivery and receipt ofmedical services. Healthcare information technology (HIT) systems arealso now been developed and used to improve care coordination. HITsystems may include regional, federal and state health informationexchanges (HIEs), provider-to-provider connectivity solutions using thenationwide health information network (NwHIN) and Direct protocol, orproprietary systems. However, such HIT solutions can be complex andcostly to install and operate, and their use by providers (e.g.physicians) can be time-consuming and cumbersome, and often leaveconnectivity gaps between systems and providers.

SUMMARY

In an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic medical records accesssystem comprises a portable computing device uniquely associated withone of a plurality of users. The portable computing device may beconfigured to execute an agent that authenticates an identification ofthe one user associated with the portable computing device. The portablecomputing device may be configured to execute an agent thatautomatically retrieves information corresponding to the one user fromat least one electronic healthcare records system using theidentification to access the at least one electronic healthcare recordssystem. The portable computing device may be configured to execute anagent that electronically delivers a portion of the information to ahealthcare provider.

The portable computing device may electronically deliver the portion ofthe information using a Bluetooth connection, a wireless network or byanother method of communicating.

In an aspect of the disclosure, the portable computing device comprisesone or more of a wireless telephone, a smart phone and a tabletcomputer. The portable computing device may retrieve the informationfrom the at least one electronic healthcare records system using acellular wireless telephone network. A portion of the information may bedelivered to a computing device, such as a desktop or portable computingdevice operated by the healthcare provider. A portion of the informationmay be delivered using a server communicatively coupled to the portablecomputing devices associated with the one user and operated by thehealthcare provider. A portion of the information may be encrypted.

In an aspect of the disclosure, the agent combines the retrievedinformation with other information retrieved from the at least oneelectronic healthcare records system to obtain combined information.Other information may comprise electronic health records of the userthat are maintained by the portable computing device. The electronichealth records maintained by the portable computing device may beencrypted using encryption keys uniquely associated with the one user.

In an aspect of the disclosure, a portion of the combined information orsingle health record delivered to the healthcare provider is selectedbased on consent of the record holder that may be expressly given orinferred from a request to transfer files to the provider, where therecord holder has chosen to transfer these files. The consent may bebased on an identification of the user. The identification of the usermay be authenticated using a biometric measurement.

In an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device comprising one ormore processors and non-transient storage maintains data andinstructions configured to cause one or more processors of a computingsystem to authenticate an identification of a user uniquely associatedwith the electronic device, automatically retrieve informationcorresponding to the user from at least one electronic healthcarerecords system using the identification to access the at least oneelectronic healthcare records system, and electronically deliver aportion of the information to a healthcare provider.

The electronic device may be adapted to be communicatively coupled tothe computing system. A portion of the information may be delivered to acomputing device operated by the healthcare provider. The computingdevice of the healthcare provider may be a portable computing device andmay comprise one or more of a wireless telephone, a smart phone and atablet computer. A portion of the information may be delivered using aserver communicatively coupled to the portable computing device. Aportion of the information may be encrypted.

In an aspect of the disclosure, retrieved information may be combinedwith other information retrieved from the at least one electronichealthcare records system to obtain a report or combined record. Theother information retrieved from electronic healthcare records systemsmay comprise electronic health records of the user that are maintainedby the portable computing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementationfor an apparatus employing a processing system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electronicrecords delivery system according to certain aspects of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating flow of electronic healthrecords between a patient and physicians.

FIG. 4 illustrates a view of medical records provided to users ofsystems deployed according to certain aspects of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of health record exchange.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementationfor an apparatus employing a processing system according to certainaspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of various configurations and isnot intended to represent the only configurations in which the conceptsdescribed herein may be practiced. The detailed description includesspecific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understandingof various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that these concepts may be practiced without these specificdetails. In some instances, well known structures and components areshown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

Several aspects of records management systems will now be presented withreference to various apparatus and methods. These apparatus and methodswill be described in the following detailed description and illustratedin the accompanying drawing by various blocks, modules, components,circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred toas “elements”). These elements may be implemented using electronichardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether suchelements are implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem.

By way of example, an element, or any portion of an element, or anycombination of elements may be implemented with a “processing system”that includes one or more processors. Examples of processors includemicroprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs),field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices(PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, andother suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionalitydescribed throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in theprocessing system may execute software. Software shall be construedbroadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments,program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications,software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines,objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc.,whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode,hardware description language, or otherwise. The software may reside ona computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium may include, byway of example, a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk,magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., compact disk (CD), digitalversatile disk (DVD)), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., card,stick, key drive), Near Field Communications (NFC) token, random accessmemory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasablePROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a register, aremovable disk, a carrier wave, a transmission line, and any othersuitable medium for storing or transmitting software. Thecomputer-readable medium may be resident in the processing system,external to the processing system, or distributed across multipleentities including the processing system. Computer-readable medium maybe embodied in a computer-program product. By way of example, acomputer-program product may include a computer-readable medium inpackaging materials. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best toimplement the described functionality presented throughout thisdisclosure depending on the particular application and the overalldesign constraints imposed on the overall system.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a hardwareimplementation for an apparatus 100 employing a processing system 114.In this example, the processing system 114 may be implemented with a busarchitecture, represented generally by the bus 102. The bus 102 mayinclude any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on thespecific application of the processing system 114 and the overall designconstraints. The bus 102 links together various circuits including oneor more processors, represented generally by the processor 104, andcomputer-readable media, represented generally by the computer-readablemedium 106. The bus 102 may also link various other circuits such astiming sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power managementcircuits, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not bedescribed any further. A bus interface 108 provides an interface betweenthe bus 102 and a transceiver 110. The transceiver 110 provides a meansfor communicating with various other apparatus over a transmissionmedium. The transceiver 110 may provide a proprietary wired interface ora wired interface compliant or consistent with a standard such asuniversal serial bus (USB), FireWire, Ethernet, Serial AdvancedTechnology Attachment (SATA), etc. The transceiver 110 may provide awireless interface and transmit and receive radio signals through anantenna 116, wherein a proprietary or standardized signaling protocolsuch as IEEE 802.11, WiFi, WiMax, CDMA, WCDMA, Bluetooth, etc. Thetransceiver 110 and antenna 116 may enable the device to communicate asa radio frequency identification device (RFID) device. The transceivermay enable optical, infrared and other communications. Depending uponthe nature of the apparatus, a user interface 112 (e.g., keypad,display, speaker, microphone, joystick) may also be provided.

The processor 104 is responsible for managing the bus 102 and generalprocessing, including the execution of software stored on thecomputer-readable medium 106. The software, when executed by theprocessor 104, causes the processing system 114 to perform the variousfunctions described infra for any particular apparatus. Thecomputer-readable medium 106 may also be used for storing data that ismanipulated by the processor 104 when executing software.

The various concepts presented throughout this disclosure may beimplemented using a broad variety of telecommunication systems, networkarchitectures, and communication standards.

Various aspects of the present disclosure relate to an example involvingelectronic health records, although the various aspects of the inventionmay relate to the management and access of other types of records,including legal records, financial records, employment records, and soon. For example, certain aspects of the invention are applicable topoint-of-sale authorization and identification of the parties to atransaction. In another example, certain aspects of the invention mayenable secure transactions and exchange of information between clientsand financial institutions.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified example of a system 200 according tocertain aspects of the invention. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) maybe maintained in various locations and/or systems 202, 204, and 206. Inthe example, the EHRs are maintained by healthcare providers 202, orpayors such as insurers 204 and government entities 206. Recordsmaintained by EHR systems 202, 204, and 206 may include duplicateinformation maintained in two or more of systems 202, 204, and 206,although it is anticipated that at least some EHR information may bemaintained in a single one of systems 202, 204, and 206.

A user may access records through a mobile device 212 or 214, such as asmart phone, a tablet computing device, a notebook computer, or othersuitable mobile device. The user may be a service provider or anindividual record owner who may be a patient of a provider system and/oran individual insured by an insurer, or an agent of the record owner.Typically, the record owner is a patient who receives healthcareservices in multiple locations and/or from multiple healthcareproviders. Healthcare providers may include one or more of a primarycare provider (physician), a physician specialist, and a pharmacy. Thepatient may be insured by a private or public health insurance plan.Each of these different healthcare entities may maintain separate anddistinct electronic health records for the patient.

The mobile device 212 or 214 may be adapted or configured, using aninstalled or downloaded application or agent to enable access topersonal electronic health records that are maintained on one or morecentralized databases 202, 204 and 206. The user may typically accesselectronic health records related to a transaction or the provision ofhealthcare services to a patient, and the records accessed may comprisepersonal health records, such as medical records and insurance records,which may be remotely located on centralized databases embodied insystems 202, 240, and 206 operated by a service provider, insurer orother entity.

In certain embodiments, EHR databases maintained on systems 202, 204,and 206 may accessed through a network 208. The network 208 may compriseone or more of a wireless network, a cellular access network, theInternet and/or a private network, etc. In certain embodiments, a recordowner can access EHR databases individually to retrieve records relatedto a specific activity, service, and/or provider. In some embodiments,the record owner may identify a set of EHR databases to be accessed andcombined, collated, or merged to obtain one or more of a combined recordor combined report of EHRs. In some embodiments, the record user canspecify a type of record to be accessed, regardless of which EHRdatabases maintain such records. In some embodiments, a record owner cangenerate a combined individual record for immediate access and use bythe user, or for delivery to a healthcare provider such as a physician,typically on the healthcare provider's own computing system 212. Therecord owner may produce a combined record on-demand (on-the-fly), ormay provide access to a combined individual record that is maintainedby, or on behalf of the record owner and which is typically updatedautomatically and/or periodically. In some embodiments, the record ownermay authorize and/or enable a provider to access records from a singleEHR source, from multiple sources, and/or from an aggregator 210. Insome embodiments, a record owner may authorize and/or enable a providerto access certain types of records, regardless of the location of thoserecords.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the individual records may be delivered to aphysician's mobile computing device 212, such as a tablet computer orsmart phone, although the combined individual record may also bedelivered to a server or other computer of system 202, 204 and 206. Insome embodiments, the record owner may cause a server or other networkdevice 210 to deliver the combined individual record to system 202, 204,or 206 and/or to a physician's mobile computing device 212 or othercomputing device, such as a desktop computer. Aggregator 210 may be usedto provide individual records when a record owner does not have accessto a device 214 capable of producing and delivering the individualrecord or when the record owner's device 214 cannot connect toprovider's computing device 212 or systems 202, 204, or 206.

Identification and authentication information may be maintained onrecord holder's device 214 to permit record owner to access each ofsystems 202, 204, and 206. The maintenance and control of theidentification and authentication information by the records owner canreduce overall system complexity because a single command andidentification process at device 214 can cause automatic access ofrelevant records on EHR systems 202, 204, 206 and/or from aggregator210. For example, an agent installed on the record owner mobile device214 may be configured to identify and authenticate the user of thedevice 214 through password, challenge, biometric scan and/or othermeans for authentication known in the art. Authentication may optionallybe confirmed by a trusted third party device or service provider.Authentication information may be provided to each of systems 202, 204,and 206 and/or aggregator 210 to enable access to the EHR informationrelated to the record owner.

The process of authentication and/or point of origin of the request maybe recorded and may be used to prove consent of a record holder to atransfer of records to a provider. In some embodiments, a request from auser to transfer records may be considered to include consent of therecord owner, based on prior identification and/or authentication of theidentity of the user as the record holder. The record owner may bepresented with a request to confirm transfer request. The request forconfirmation may include a request for identification and/or a requestto authenticate the identity of the recipient of the transfer request.In some embodiments, the user may configure the type of transfer to beperformed for each request. For example, consent may be limited to asubset of the owner's EHR record. In some embodiments, the record ownermay configure a default specification of the types of record that can betransferred to one or more service providers.

The user may authorize and/or initiate an access to electronic healthrecords at a service provider facility. The user may prepare a combinedEHR report or may store a set of EHR information from a variety ofsources on a mobile device or on a storage device. Locally maintainedinformation is typically encrypted. The record holder may transfer aportion or all of locally maintained information to a healthcareprovider when seeking healthcare services. The user may also accesscertain records on-line from home to check on his insurance status,medical appointments, to see prescription refill status or tocommunicate by e-mail with his physicians.

Certain embodiments provide an interface to multiple electronic healthrecords for both users and service providers. A user may provideauthorization that enables a service provider to access some or all ofthe user's combined records. Thus, a provider may, at the user'sdiscretion, access the user's individual EHRs maintained by a differentprovider at a different healthcare facility. In one example, a physicianmay directly, and easily, access all of the user records necessary toobtain a current view of the user's complete medical history, insuranceeligibility status, and other information. Moreover, medicalpractitioners can directly access the user's records in order to updatethe user's health information.

When transferring records, the user identification may be authenticatedusing any combination of a user ID, password, challenge question andbiometric information. Typically, the transfer is made contingent upon atwo-way identification of a record holder and a healthcare provider.In-person identification may be made using direct sight. Additionally,both users' portable devices may establish a connection that isconfirmed by both the record holder and the healthcare provider. In oneexample, the connection may comprise a session secured using encryptionkeys that are exchanged between the users. The encryption keys may beused to encrypt and decrypt information transmitted between the devicesof the users. The transfer may be made only between proximately locateddevices. In one example, the record holder may initiate contact byselecting a physician's tablet computer from a list of devices withinBluetooth range, or within the same WiFi domain. The physician typicallyaccepts the connection.

In certain embodiments, records may not be exchanged without a positiveidentification of the recipient. When the record holder and thehealthcare provider are located in different physical locations, alocation identification made by one or more of the record holder and thehealthcare provider using one or more of a global positioning system andlocation information provided by a wireless network. For example,certain wireless network telecommunications services can provideaccurate positional information based on triangulation and/or certainsignaling characteristics of mobile devices. In some embodiments, anauthentication or other service may be used to verify identity of, andsubsequently connect a record holder and a healthcare provider when theparties are located different physical locations.

In certain embodiments, the user devices may be incompatible and may notbe capable of direct connection. For example, and Android-based devicemay not be able to connect securely with a tablet computer based on adifferent operating system. When incompatible devices are used, agateway may be used to facilitate the connection of the devices and mayprovide extended handshake services that identify both devices andestablish a secure link between the devices. The gateway may be providedusing a local or network server and/or a cloud service.

In certain embodiments, global positioning technology may be used toconfirm proximity or specific locations of the record holder andprovider devices. In some embodiments, cell technology, such as 4G LTEmay provide location services to determine proximity or physicallocation information.

General purpose computing devices 216, such as a notebook or desktopcomputer, may also be used to access medical records, even where thecomputer 216 does not belong to the record owner. Record owner mayprovide an electronic credential 218 that, when read and used bycomputer 216, enables automatic access of combined individual records.Electronic credential 218 may comprise a hand-held device with anon-transitory memory and an embedded microprocessor or otherprogrammable device. The electronic credentials may comprise a smartcard, a USB flash drive, and radio-frequency identification (RFID)device, an NFC token, web-enabled phones, etc, and the credential may beembodied in an identification card or other format easily stored andsecured by the user. In certain embodiments, access to the user's EHRinformation may be obtained by presenting the electronic credential 218to a computing device 212 or 216, whereby the computing device canestablish a wired or wireless connection with the electronic credential218 that enables an exchange of data. The electronic credential 218 maycomprise a small portable device issued by an insurer, a governmentagency, a primary healthcare provider system, etc. The electroniccredential 218 may comprise a memory that maintains informationincluding a personal identifier, a unique identifier assigned to theindividual, an EHR locator address, login information, and/or otheridentifying information. The user may use the electronic credential 218to access one or more EHR systems 202, 204, and 206 through a computingdevice 212 or 216, such as a personal computer (PC), tablet computer,smart phone or other suitably equipped processing device. In oneexample, the electronic credential 218 comprises a flash drive, a smartcard, or a device that can connect wirelessly to the computing device212 or 216. The user may present the electronic credential 218 to thecomputing device 212 or 216 in a manner appropriate to allow theelectronic credential 218 to exchange information with the computingdevice 212 or 216, whereby the computing device 212 or 216 mayautomatically access and login to one or more EHR systems 202, 204, and206 using the record owner's identification. The user may have access tothe EHR systems 202, 204, and 206 for automated and simultaneousreal-time access to medical records maintained therein. In one example,an agent or other application software embedded in the electroniccredential 218, or accessed through a network 208 using informationstored on the electronic credential 218, may be downloaded to thecomputing device 212 or 216 to enable harvesting of selected data fromthe different EHR systems 202, 204, and 206 and generate an on-the-flysummary record for a physician to view and use.

Certain embodiments enable automated access to multiple data sources. Inone example, electronic credential 218 comprises an encrypted“electronic keychain” that may be maintained as a knowledge base thatcomprises identification and lists of sources of health relatedinformation for an individual. The knowledge base can include both theInternet address as well as identification and other credentials neededto enable access to the data. Typically, the health information ismaintained by a plurality of healthcare providers or practitioners, andinformation may be accessible through repositories or databases,including insurance databases and healthcare record portals.

An electronic credential 218 may comprise a device that includes acombination of hardware and software that can encrypt and decryptinformation stored on the electronic credential 218. The electroniccredential 218 may be embodied in intelligent electronic devices(devices having at least a programmable controller), such as a universalserial device, a smart phone, a PC and a tablet computer. The electronicdevice may have sufficient processing capacity and storage to operate asa self-contained EHR access portal.

In certain embodiments, an on-the-fly summary of health information canbe provided at a medical provider facility, for example. Informationprovided by an electronic keychain may be used to initiate access andretrieval of information from multiple EHR sources 202, 204, and 206.Information provided by the electronic keychain may include one or moreagents or applications that may compile multiple electronic healthrecords into a single summary form. The summary form may be provided ina standardized format, such as continuity of care record (“CCR”), acontinuity of care document (“CCD”), and other suitable formats. In someembodiments, compiled health records may be presented in a consistentsummary format regardless of the format used by the originating source.Accordingly, information provided or accessed through the electronickeychain may include templates and conversion modules that can be usedto filter and reformat EHR information from a variety of sources 202,204, and 206.

FIG. 3 is a block schematic 300 depicting data flow in transactionsinvolving transfer of EHR records according to certain aspects of theinvention. In a first scenario, a record owner may use a personalportable computing device 302 to directly transfer, or push, a combinedrecord to a first provider device 308. For example, a patient visiting aphysician's office may wish to provide updated records to the attendingphysician. The patient may initiate an agent or other application on asmart phone 302 to perform the transfer. The user may be required toprovide identifying information, such as a username, a password, ananswer to a challenge question and/or the user may be required toprovide biometric information. The user may typically select whichrecords should be provided to the physician.

Upon authentication, the agent may determine if a single or combinedrecord is maintained on the patient device 302 and whether such recordis current. The agent may request records from one or more healthcareproviders, insurers, government agency, public payor or other source ofEHR information (shown generally at 304). Having combined or updated theindividual record or records, the agent may cause the patient device 302to push a single record or combined records to the physician device 308for immediate display. An application or agent on the physician device308 may be manually initiated to receive the pushed information. In someembodiments, the physician device 308 may be adapted to respond to thepush by opening an application or agent to receive or display therecords upon receipt of a request for connection from patient device302.

In certain embodiments, the physician may update records or retrieveother records on the physician device 308 and cause the updated or otherrecords to be transmitted to the patient device 302. The patient device302 may then provide the new or updated records to one or more of theEHR systems 304 or to another provider's computing device. In someembodiments, the physician may provide medical information to thepatient device 302. For example, the physician may receive an X-Rayimage on device 308 and may transfer the image to the patient device302. In another example, the physician may cause device 308 to transmitinformation to the patient device that provides access to instructionalor educational information to the patient device 302, includinginformation on medications, dosage regimens and general information,such as educational information related to a medical condition.

User device 302 and physician device 308 may communicate using anyavailable network or communication method, including WiFi, cellularcommunications, Bluetooth and other short range wireless communications.In certain embodiments, communication between devices 302 and 308 may berestricted to the use of short range communications methods to enhancesecurity. For example, the use of a Bluetooth link between physiciandevice 308 and patient device 302 may limit communications range to asingle room, allowing both the physician and patient to verify thatcommunication is properly established between devices 302 and 308 andthe patient's privacy can be better protected. In certain embodiments, apatient may wish to transfer records to a physician who is notphysically present using a wireless LAN 306 located in a medicalfacility and/or through the Internet 310 where the physician and patientare geographically remote from one another. In such cases, the patientand physician may establish a video conference connection to verify thatverify that communication is properly established between devices 302and 308.

In a second scenario depicted in FIG. 3, a server 312 may act as anintermediary or proxy between patient device 302 and a second physiciandevice 314. As described for the first scenario, the patient mayinitiate a records transfer using device 312. In certain embodiments,intermediary 312 may provide one or more services, including useridentification and authentication and record aggregation when patientdevice 302 is not configured or adaptable to perform such functions. Forexample, record owner may provide an electronic credential 218 (see FIG.2) to a general purpose computing device 216, whereby the electroniccredential 218 causes the computer 216 to transmit a request for serviceto the proxy 312. Proxy 312 may, for example, provide a web page tocomputer 216 which allows the patient to initiate a request that may beexecuted by proxy 312 on behalf of the patient.

In another example, patient device 302 and second physician 314 may beunable to directly communicate. Intermediary 312 may be configured toperform a gateway or routing function that permits exchange ofinformation between 302 and 314 to communicate. Devices 302 and 314 maybe unable to establish Bluetooth or WiFi connections with one anotherdue to security settings of second physician device 314 and/or wirelessLAN 306. In one example, intermediary 312 through a WiFi network mayprovide a gateway function when patient device 302 is connected to adifferent domain (guest domain), while the second physician device 314is connected via a secured private domain of a local network 306.

In certain embodiments, proximity may be defined as closeness in bothplace and time. A proximity exchange may occur when real-timecommunication of health records and/or health information occurs betweenpatient and physician devices 302 and 308 while the devices 302 and 308are in physical proximity with each other and the users can identifyeach other by direct sight. In certain embodiments, proximity exchangemay be used to communicate health records and/or health information froma first mobile device 302 to a second mobile device 308 over a localwireless network during a specific time period. The time period may bedefined by a starting time when the communicating parties can identifyeach other by direct sight, either by physically seeing each other or byvirtually viewing via video communication. Typically, the two peopleexchanging information will be together in the same room during theproximity exchange. As an example, a patient with a mobile phone 302 cansend his health records to his doctor who is waiting with his tablet 308in the same examining room. In another example, the doctor at the end ofthe visit can send to the patient some treatment instructions orliterature related to his patient's diagnosis. In addition to havingproximity of space (i.e. being in the same room) the patient and thedoctor also have proximity of time. Each is expecting the communicationto occur more or less immediately, for instance at the time when thephysician is asking his patient about his medical history. In someembodiments, virtual identification can be made when the parties can seeeach other's face through video link. In some embodiments, devices 302,308, and 314 may be adapted to perform facial recognition, irisscanning, fingerprint scanning or other biometric scanning when visualidentification cannot be made by the parties. In some embodiments,visual recognition or a biometric alternative is required to permitaccess to the EHR information to be exchanged between the parties.

In some embodiments, standardized health summaries are made available topatients for easy download from government and private healthcareportals and to be shared with their healthcare providers. Certainembodiments of the invention enable immediate and/or proximate exchangeof health records and related health information between a patient and aphysician, or between two physicians, in a secure fashion in real timeusing mobile devices 302 and 308. Certain embodiments of the inventionenable secure and easy communication of EHR data from one mobile device302 to another mobile device 308 over a local wireless network during apatient encounter with implicit or explicit patient consent. Theexchange may take place in a physician's office, in an emergency room,an urgent care center, or at a hospital without a need to configurenetwork servers and provider workstations with individual account names,addresses and security login parameters. A proximity exchange providesimmediate access and secure exchange of individual health information atthe time when the sender and the receiver of the information beingexchanged can physically recognize each other and are reachable to eachother over a network such as a wireless network.

In certain embodiments, a physician can exchange health information witha patient or with another physician using mobile devices 302, 308 and314. The exchange can occur between two mobile phones, two tablet orother computers, or between a mobile phone and a tablet or othercomputer.

Patient device 302 may be adapted using an application or agent thatsecurely stores and organizes personal health records and healthinformation. Patient device 302 may be adapted using an application oragent that automatically accesses a patient portal account and canautomatically login to retrieve current and updated patient healthrecords. Patient device 302 may be further adapted to automaticallydownload and combine health records from patient web portals using loginand other identification and authentication maintained by the patientdevice 302.

In certain embodiments, patient device 302 may be adapted to capturephotographs of health documents and/or body parts using a camera in themobile device 302. Patient device 302 may be adapted using anapplication or agent that accesses records created by other applicationson the patient's mobile device. Proximity exchange may be used totransfer one or more health records and health information to aphysician.

Patient device 302 may be adapted using an application or agent thatdirectly receives health records, such as a visit summary, a referralnote, test results, patient instructions, etc., from a physician usingproximity exchange from the physician's mobile device 308.

Patient device 302 may be adapted using an application or agent thatenables receipt of different types of records, including documents,photographs, audio and/or video recordings that may transferred by aphysician using proximity exchange from the physician's mobile device308 and the device 302 may be further configured to store and organizerecords exchanged to and from different physicians.

Physician device 308 may be adapted using an application or agent thatcan securely store and organize individual patient records and healthinformation associated with several patients. Physician device 308 maybe adapted using an application or agent that accesses records createdby other applications, such as an electronic medical record (EMR)application, on the physician's mobile device 308.

Physician device 308 may be adapted using an application or agent thattakes photographs of patient records and/or patient body parts using acamera of the mobile device 308. Physician device 308 may be furtheradapted to create an audio recording, including follow-up careinstructions, and to store such recordings as part of the patient'srecord on the physician's mobile device 308.

Physician device 308 may be adapted using an application or agent thatdirectly receives health records from a patient, using proximityexchange from the patient's mobile device and that downloads healthrelated information from a variety of provider, electronic medicalrecord, health information exchange and other portals.

In some embodiments, either the patient or the doctor can initiate aproximity exchange. The initiator of the communication may push a buttonor otherwise activate a function of an agent or application of theirmobile device 302 or 308. The initiator device 302 or 308 may thenbroadcast over the wireless network an identification that may include aname that the other party can positively identify. The recipient may benotified that a request for proximity exchange has been received and mayreceive the name or names of the initiator. The recipient may choosebetween initiators detected within range of the recipient's mobiledevice 302 or 308 (e.g. a different physician and a different patientmay be initiating an exchange in a nearby examining room). The proximityexchange may be authorized to commence when the recipient accepts theinitiator.

In one example, Bluetooth and WiFi networks may be present. A mobiledevice may first attempt to advertise its desire to perform a proximityexchange using a WiFi Access Point (AP) if it is able to gain access toone within its wireless range. If the devices of both communicationparties are able to access the same AP at the same time then theproximity exchange is performed through the AP, otherwise an attempt ismade to connect them over Bluetooth. In some embodiments, Bluetoothconnections are attempted first.

In certain embodiments, data is encrypted for transfer by proximityexchange. Encryption provides security that is not dependent upon on thesecurity features of the underlying wireless network. Patient data suchas health records and personal health information may be stored inencrypted form in mobile devices 302 and 308. In one example, encryptionis performed using AES encryption algorithms with a secret encryptionkey that may be unique for the device 302 or 308. The encryption keysmay be generated during configuration and installation of the agent orapplication on the device 302 or 308. Encryption keys may be based on auser password and a 64 byte random number. Encryption keys may besecurely stored on the device in special secured hardware. Thisencryption protects both the confidentiality and the integrity of thedata on the mobile devices 302 and 308.

Prior to transmission by proximity exchange, encrypted data may be firstdecrypted using the local cryptographic key of the sending device. Thedecrypted data may then be encrypted using a cryptographic key, known toboth sender, and receiver and that is created dynamically to exist onlyduring the lifetime of the communication session. The Diffie-Hellmanalgorithm may be used to create a communication session cryptographickey in such a way that only the two mobile devices 302 and 308 know thekey. When encrypted data is received at the destination device 308 or302, it can be decrypted using the key associated with current proximityexchange and then re-encrypted using the local cryptographic key of thedestination device before it is stored.

In certain embodiments, health records and related health informationcan be securely exchanged in real-time without the need for predefinednetwork infrastructure. Proximity exchange may provide securecommunication between two parties who can physically recognize eachother and can communicate electronically with each other over a network.

In certain embodiments, personal identification and contact informationcan be exchanged between patient device 302 and physician device 3080 asan option during proximity exchange. Personal identification informationcan include name, phone number, e-mail address, photograph, and suchinformation may facilitate later contacts between the doctor andpatient. In some embodiments, the contact information is exchangedautomatically, without the requirement for each party to request it tobe sent. Contact information may be automatically attached to recordsexchanged between the parties to enable easier filing and to enableaccelerated retrieval on the respective devices 302 and 304.

Record owners and providers may access the record owner EHR through apersonalized portal provided on a mobile device or a conventionalcomputing platform. Record owners may access their EHR information froma plurality of different sources and may provide one or more providerswith partial or complete access to their EHR information. FIG. 4illustrates a presentation of EHR information using a personalizedportal according to certain aspects of the invention. The personalizedportal may present a single display area that includes information froma plurality of sources including healthcare practitioners, insurancecompanies, an entity responsible for payment for services and otherproviders. EHR information may be combined remotely using a computersystem or network server to access a plurality of EHR systems, beforefiltering and presenting the information to the record owner orprovider. An aggregation server may reduce system complexity byproviding identification, authentication, and qualification servicesrelated to the record owner and provider base as a centralized service,rather than requiring the plurality of EHR systems to maintainauthentication information for the record owner and provider base. Insome embodiments, a portal or agent may directly access and combine EHRinformation from the plurality of EHR systems.

Qualification services may filter results obtained from the plurality ofEHR systems. Records received may be filtered based on certainpredefined rules which may enforce government regulations. For example,certain records may not be accessible if access would cause healthcareinformation to be transferred between state or national jurisdictions.Records received may be filtered based on rules established by therecord owner, a provider or the EHR system supplying the records. In oneexample, a record owner may determine a set of EHR records or a class ofEHR records that should be withheld from one or more provider. Therecord owner may request that EHR records sent to a podiatrist shouldnot include records related to psychiatric treatment, and vice versa.

An aggregator may format the information for display and/or may providethe information to an interface application that delivers a final formatfor display to the physician or other user. Interface application may beembodied in a portal or agent deployed on a record owner's computingdevice. Interface application may be provided as a plug-in on a networkapplication at a provider location. Information provided by aggregatormay be displayed in a web browser, a custom viewer application or in anysuitable office automation application, such as a document reader orpresentation tool. In certain embodiments, the display format may bespecified and/or customized based on some combination of preferences andrequirements of an end-user, a system administrator, a provider, payerand the record owner whose records are to be displayed. For example, therecord owner may determine which fields are to be displayed and whichdata should be withheld. In another example, financial information isselected for display based on authorization levels set for the end-user.

In a certain embodiments, the record owner is a patient who receives, orexpects to receive, healthcare services in a plurality of locations frommultiple healthcare providers, such as his primary care provider(physician), a physician specialist and a pharmacy. The record owner maybe insured by a private or public health insurance plan. Each providermay maintain separate and distinct electronic health records for therecord owner. In some embodiments, record owner is permitted access toat least a portion of the records maintained by a provider on-line whensuch access is for the use of the record owner. For example, a recordowner may access certain records from home to check on his insurancestatus, medical appointments, to view prescription refills, orcommunicate by e-mail with attending physicians.

Certain embodiments provide a record owner-controlled, practical,flexible, direct access to the record owner's health record that iscontinuously available. In some embodiments, the record owner may printand/or store a summary of online records on a removable storage devicewhen it is necessary to present EHR records to one or more providers whoare not users of the electronic delivery systems described herein. Itwill be appreciated however, that the printed or stored records aretypically static and, if not updated in a timely manner, can becomeoutdated by the time the records are presented at the point of care.Furthermore, the saved or printed record will typically not be availableat all times, including during an emergency or at the time of a routinehealthcare appointment, and may not be securely stored or carried;accordingly, these stored or printed records can be subject to loss ortampering. Electronic access to EHR records may additionally resolveexisting complex and ineffective patient consent management solutions,typically paper-based and single facility-based.

Consent may be provided by record owners as part of a request to deliverthe record owner's EHR records. Certain embodiments provide directaccess by healthcare providers to record owner records, whereby currentrecord owner records are directly downloaded to the provider's system.The record owner may be required to provide authentication whenrequesting that a portion or all of the record owner's records aredirectly pushed to a provider system. In some embodiments, the recordowner may also provide time-limited consent to permit a provider torequest and access patient records directly from another serviceprovider or from an aggregator. Consent may be provided directly by therecord owner using a portal or agent, which may be implemented in asmart phone or other portable processing device.

A portal or agent may be provided on a computing device. A portal mayprovide access to a record owner's EHR information through a browser oran application or agent that resides temporarily on the computingdevice. The portal may comprise an application that is downloaded andexecuted through a browser or loaded from a portable storage device,such as a USB drive. In one example, a USB drive may be used as acredential to identify and/or authenticate a user of the USB drive,through encryption keys, biometric information, etc., and may provide anapplication that enables the record owner to establish a portal on thecomputing device. The USB drive or another credential may be issued byhis insurer, the government, or his primary healthcare provider system,etc., and may maintain record owner information such as a personal andunique identifier assigned to the record owner, a record locator addressand login. The USB drive may also be configured to maintain a previouslydownloaded EHR document, typically in encrypted form.

The portal may comprise one or more downloadable applications and maydeliver services performed by a network server. An agent may beinstalled or otherwise maintained by a computing device. The agenttypically performs one or more functions that allow a record owner toaccess EHR information. The agent may identify a wireless device such asan RFID, a Bluetooth-enabled device, a WiFi connected device or anotherdevice that can be used to identify the user. The agent may be anapplication installed on a smart phone, tablet computer or notebookcomputer, whereby the record owner may use an identifier to gain accessto EHR information. Identification may comprise a combination of userID, password, challenge, biometric information such as a fingerprint,iris scan, facial scan effected by an on-board camera, and so on.

The agent or portal may be configured to perform a plurality offunctions including record owner identification and authentication,access to EHR records, identification and authorization of EHR recordsto be pushed to a provider, aggregation of EHR records and direct pushof EHR records from the record owner's personal portal to a provider'ssystem.

In certain embodiments, a record owner may use a smart portable devicethat has a processor and storage. The record owner may connect a flashdrive, smart card, a wirelessly connectable storage device, or the liketo the computer. In one example, the record owner may present a NearField Communication (NFC) device, such as an RFID or smart phone thatresponds to or activates an NFC receiver on a provider computingworkstation. The record owner may also use an optical reader to capturea barcode, or biometric information that automatically enables access tothe EHR information. Additionally, a device to device communicationprotocol between the patient's device and a provider's portable devicemay be employed to automatically access and exchange electronic, orinitiate such exchange, with the healthcare provider.

An example of a summary form 400 is shown in FIG. 4. The summary formmay be tailored to the requirements of the user, whether an EHR holder,an insurance provider, a government agency, a physician or otherhealthcare provider. The summary form may be formatted for ease ofviewing on any suitable platform. The summary form may be presented in asingle view, window and/or screen to allow a physician to access desiredinformation in one place, with a minimum of required navigation. Thissingle screen display can be generated on the fly and can includeclinical information (e.g. in CCD/CCR format), administrativeinformation and financial information, such as insurance eligibilityinformation and past utilization and encounter information. Thehealthcare provider can typically obtain immediate access to the type,amount and location of services received by a patient, as well as out ofpocket expenses incurred.

With reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 2, a process according to certainaspects of the invention will be described. For the purposes of thedescription, an example an embodiment of the invention used by militaryVeterans will be described, whereby a typical Veteran accesseshealthcare at different Veterans Administration (VA) and non-VA providersites and EHR information for the Veteran is maintained by governmentand non-government entities. In the example, an exchange can occurbetween points of care, whereby electronic health records can beautomatically downloaded from various patient portals by a Veteran'sportable computing device 214 or electronic credential 218, which hasbeen adapted through the installation of an embedded application.Various patient portals may be accessed through device 214 or 218,including My HealtheVet at the VA, TRICARE Online, and MyMedicare.govand other examples.

With regard to the flowchart 500 of FIG. 6, at step 502 Veteran patientmay present an ID card 218 that comprises a USB flash drive. The ID cardmay enable automatic communication/exchange of online health recordswith a provider EHR system 202. At step 504, software embedded in theVeteran's card 218 is automatically loaded and executed upon insertionand/or detection by an Internet-ready computing device 216. Typically,no software or system integration is required and the software maydirectly launch a login screen for entry of the Veteran's single chosenpassword in order to grant the provider consent of the patient toproceed.

At step 506, the device embedded software may then auto launch andautomatically login into one or more of the Veteran's selected EHRenabled patient portals. The computing device 216 may then download andcombine EHR records, automatically and as directed by the deviceembedded software. The device embedded software may additionallyreformat the downloaded EHR information into a clinically prioritizedformat in a single view (see 402). This single view may also include areply prompt window for the provider to send, at step 610, a follow upnote, with or without attachments, to the Veteran's primary care orreferring physician. The follow up note may be transmitted by secureEmail, Fax and/or secure messaging.

As shown in FIG. 2, a Veteran's mobile device 214 may comprise a smartphone or tablet computer on which an application or agent has beeninstalled or embedded, thereby obviating the need to perform steps 502or 504. Moreover, the application or agent may adapt the Veteran'sdevice 214 to maintain at least a summary report of EHR records. Theapplication or agent may also adapt the Veteran's device 214 toautomatically access one or more EHR portals (step 506) and download andcombine EHR records from the portals (step 508). Typically, at step 510,records can be pushed to the physician device 212 upon consent andauthentication of the Veteran. The records may be pushed to a providerdevice 212 using, for example, a service discovery protocol. Anapplication or agent on the provider device 212 may signal its presence,which enables the Veteran to execute a transfer of records by commandingdevice 214 to directly push selected records to the provider's device212. The provider may be prompted to choose whether or not to accept theVeteran's records before or after transmission of the records by theVeteran's device 214.

The physician may optionally provide updates records to Veteran's device212, 214 or 218 which may then be relayed to the EHR systems 202, 204,or 206 through one or more portals. Typically, the provider reviews thereceived records and is provided a reply prompt to send information tothe Veteran's device 214. For example, the information sent by thephysician may include a follow up note to the Veteran's primary care orreferring physician. Optionally information such as a follow-up note maybe transmitted by secure Email, Fax and/or secure messaging.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual block diagram 600 illustrating the functionalityof an exemplary apparatus 602 as used in a provider location foraccessing medical records. The apparatus 600 may be a portable ornon-portable computing device, having a processor 604 and non-transitorystorage 606 in which an agent or software may be installed that includesone or more modules 630, 632, 634, 636 and 638.

Apparatus 600 may include an authentication module 630 identifies and/orauthenticates the user associated with the apparatus 600. Module 630 mayidentify the user using a biometric measurement, a password, useridentifier, RFID device and/or a challenge.

Apparatus 600 may include a records retrieval module 632 thatautomatically retrieves information corresponding to the one user fromat least one electronic healthcare records system using theidentification to access the at least one electronic healthcare recordssystem. Apparatus 600 may retrieve the information from the at least oneelectronic healthcare records system using a cellular wireless telephonenetwork.

Apparatus 600 may include a records delivery module 634 thatelectronically delivers a portion of the information to a healthcareprovider. The apparatus may deliver the information using transceiver610 and antenna 620, which may be configured to support Bluetoothcommunications and/or communications through a wireless network, such asa WLAN or cellular network. Accordingly, apparatus 600 may comprise oneor more of a wireless telephone, a smart phone and a tablet computer. Aportion of the information may be delivered to a different computingdevice operated by the healthcare provider. A portion of the informationis delivered using a server communicatively coupled to the portablecomputing devices associated with the one user and operated by thehealthcare provider. A portion of the information may be encrypted.

Apparatus 600 may include a local connection module 638 that establishesa data and/or audio-visual link with a provider. The apparatus mayestablish a connection using transceiver 610 and antenna 620, which maybe configured to support Bluetooth communications and/or communicationsthrough a wireless network, such as a WLAN or cellular network.Accordingly, apparatus 600 may comprise one or more of a wirelesstelephone, a smart phone and a tablet computer. Module 638 may performother functions, including automatically providing consent to allowproviders to download records or the user.

Apparatus 600 may include an aggregation module 636 that combines theretrieved information with other information retrieved from the at leastone electronic healthcare records system to obtain combined information.The other information may comprise electronic health records of the userthat are maintained by apparatus 600. Electronic health recordsmaintained by the apparatus may be encrypted using encryption keysuniquely associated with the one user.

One or more of modules 630, 632, 634, 636 and 638 may combine to performa method comprising the steps of receiving from a first portablecomputing device, information identifying a user of the first portablecomputing device and a request for selected healthcare recordscorresponding to the user and an identity of a healthcare provider,causing the first portable computing device to authenticate identity ofthe user, wherein the authentication of the identity of the user servesas a consent of the user to release the selected healthcare records, andupon receiving information confirming the authentication of the identityof the user, transferring the selected healthcare records to a secondcomputing device operated by the healthcare provider. In someembodiments the portable computing device maintains encryptedinformation that identifies the user.

The method may further comprise updating at least a portion of theselected healthcare records using information received from thehealthcare provider. The method may further comprise healthcare recordsother than the selected healthcare records using information receivedfrom the healthcare provider. The method may further comprise creatingnew healthcare records using information received from the healthcareprovider.

In some embodiments, the selected healthcare records comprise recordsfrom a plurality of sources, including at least one provider source anda payer source. In some embodiments, transferring the selectedhealthcare records includes receiving an acceptance from the healthcareprovider. In some embodiments, the user and the healthcare provider arelocated in close proximity and wherein the transferring the selectedhealthcare records is contingent on a direct visual identification madeby one or more of the user and the healthcare provider. In someembodiments, the user and the healthcare provider are located indifferent rooms and wherein the transferring the selected healthcarerecords is contingent on a virtual visual identification made by one ormore of the user and the healthcare provider.

It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in theprocesses disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Basedupon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order orhierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged. The accompanyingmethod claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order,and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchypresented.

The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the various aspects described herein. Variousmodifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied toother aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to theaspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistentwith the language claims, wherein reference to an element in thesingular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specificallyso stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically statedotherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. All structural andfunctional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects describedthroughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known tothose of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein byreference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover,nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the publicregardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in theclaims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recitedusing the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, theelement is recited using the phrase “step for.”

1. A device for controlling health record exchange, comprising: anelectronic credential that uniquely associates a portable computingdevice with an individual who owns health-related information thatincludes a set of electronic healthcare records stored in the portablecomputing device; and a processor configured to: use the electroniccredential to authenticate a user of the portable computing device asthe individual who owns the health-related information; use theelectronic credential to access the set of electronic healthcarerecords; establish communication between the portable computing deviceand a system operated by a healthcare provider; and cause the set ofelectronic healthcare records to be transferred to the system operatedby the healthcare provider responsive to a request received from theauthenticated user, the request including a time-limited consent of theauthenticated user to release the set of electronic healthcare recordsto the healthcare provider, wherein the set of electronic healthcarerecords is obtained using a filter based on rules established on theportable computing device by the authenticated user.
 2. The portablecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:establish a connection through a wireless network with a plurality ofelectronic health records systems (EHR systems); and use thetime-limited consent to update the set of electronic healthcare recordsstored in the portable computing device or in one or more of theplurality of EHR systems.
 3. The portable computing device of claim 1,wherein the processor is configured to: establish a connection through awireless network with a repository of electronic health records; and usethe time-limited consent to update the repository based on the set ofelectronic healthcare records stored in the portable computing device.4. The portable computing device of claim 3, wherein the repositorycomprises a payor or electronic healthcare records system.
 5. Theportable computing device of claim 3, wherein the processor isconfigured to: create new healthcare records in the set of electronichealthcare records stored in the portable computing device; and use thetime-limited consent to provide the new healthcare records to therepository.
 6. The portable computing device of claim 5, wherein theprocessor is configured to create the new healthcare records byaccessing records created by one or more applications executed on theportable computing device.
 7. The portable computing device of claim 5,wherein the processor is configured to create the new healthcare recordsafter receiving modified electronic healthcare records transmitted bythe system operated by the healthcare provider.
 8. The portablecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:receive modified electronic healthcare records; and transmit themodified electronic healthcare records to the system operated by thehealthcare provider.
 9. The portable computing device of claim 8,wherein the modified electronic healthcare records include newhealthcare records created by one or more applications executed on theportable computing device.
 10. The portable computing device of claim 1,wherein the portable computing device comprises a smart phone.
 11. Theportable computing device of claim 1, wherein the portable computingdevice comprises a tablet computer.
 12. The portable computing device ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: cause the set ofelectronic healthcare records to be delivered to a computing deviceoperated by the healthcare provider.
 13. A method for controlling healthrecord exchange, comprising: using an electronic credential maintainedin a portable computing device to authenticate a user of the portablecomputing device as an individual who owns health-related informationstored in the portable computing device; receiving a request from theauthenticated user to release a portion of the health-relatedinformation to a system operated by a healthcare provider or repository,the request including a time-limited consent of the authenticated user;and transferring the portion of the health-related information to thesystem operated by the healthcare provider or repository in accordancewith the time-limited consent, wherein the portion of the health-relatedinformation is selected using a filter based on rules established on theportable computing device by the authenticated user, and wherein theportion of the health-related information is transferred aftercommunication between the portable computing device and the systemoperated by the healthcare provider has been established.
 14. The methodof claim 13, further comprising: establishing a connection through awireless network with a plurality of electronic health records systems(EHR systems); and using the time-limited consent to update one or moreof the plurality of EHR systems based on the health-related informationstored in the portable computing device.
 15. The method of claim 13,further comprising: establishing a connection through a wireless networkwith a repository of electronic health records; and using thetime-limited consent to update the repository based on thehealth-related information stored in the portable computing device,wherein the repository comprises a payor or electronic health recordssystem.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: creating newhealthcare records in a set of electronic healthcare records stored inthe portable computing device; and using the time-limited consent toprovide the new healthcare records to the repository.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising: creating the new healthcare records byaccessing records created by one or more applications executed on theportable computing device.
 18. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising: creating the new healthcare records after receiving modifiedelectronic healthcare records from the system operated by the healthcareprovider.
 19. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receivingmodified electronic healthcare records; and transmitting the modifiedelectronic healthcare records to the system operated by the healthcareprovider, wherein the modified electronic healthcare records include newhealthcare records created by one or more applications executed on theportable computing device.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein theportable computing device comprises a smart phone.
 21. The method ofclaim 13, wherein the portable computing device comprises a tabletcomputer.
 22. The method of claim 13, further comprising: delivering theportion of the health-related information to a computing device operatedby the healthcare provider.
 23. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium that stores instructions, which when executed by a processor of aportable computing device, cause the portable computing device to: usean electronic credential maintained in the portable computing device toauthenticate a user of the portable computing device as an owner ofhealth-related information stored in the portable computing device;configure a request and consent of the authenticated user to release aportion of the health-related information to a repository or a systemoperated by a healthcare provider; configure a filter that selects theportion of the health-related information to be released to therepository or the system operated by the healthcare provider; andtransfer the portion of the health-related information to the repositoryor the system operated by the healthcare provider in accordance with therequest and consent of the authenticated user.
 24. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions cause theportable computing device to: receive new healthcare records created byan application executed on the portable computing device; and adding thenew healthcare records to the portion of the health-related informationto be released to the repository or the system operated by thehealthcare provider.
 25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 23, wherein the instructions cause the portable computing deviceto: periodically establish communication between the portable computingdevice and the repository or the system operated by the healthcareprovider; and transfer the portion of the health-related information tothe repository or the system operated by the healthcare provider afterthe communication has been established.